About
The character "牢" originates from a pictographic concept representing an enclosure, specifically one designed to confine animals. Its structure, consistent in both traditional and simplified forms, combines the radical "宀" which signifies a roof or covered building, with "牛" meaning an ox, thus visually conveying the idea of a penned or sheltered ox. This concrete meaning of an animal pen or stable naturally extended to denote any place of confinement, leading to its primary modern sense of a prison or jail. Over time, the conceptual solidity of an enclosure that securely holds something allowed its meaning to broaden into the abstract, giving rise to associated terms indicating something firm, secure, or durable, as seen in words for reliability or firmly remembering.
Etymology Hide
Example Sentences Hide
这个箱子很牢固。
你一定要牢记老师的话。
小鸟被关进了牢笼。
他总是发牢骚，抱怨工作。
这座桥建造得十分牢靠。
他因犯罪而进了牢狱。
他们的友谊是牢不可破的。
在困境中，他为自己牢牢守住了一线希望。